Chapter 28 #2
Forgetting the softly simmering pot on the stove, Marcus stepped up to me, boxing my body in with his arms. His face inches from mine.
The alpha’s scent poured from him, so unlike typical Marcus.
So reserved. So high button. It was so unusual, that I thought maybe I was smelling the dessert he was baking, not his pheremones that were to shockingly the same.
Finally, I was getting the attention I wanted from him.
He was noticing me.
"How about instead I make you get off and scrub the entire kitchen top to bottom with your own toothbrush."
My body heated at the threat of punishment, cock swelling with a twitch. "You wouldn’t make me do that."
"Wanna bet?"
"Oh, fuck,” a feminine voice cooed from behind us. “It smells so good down here.”
I turned, finding Eva in the doorway. She’d pulled her hair into a messy bun, trading out her pretty pink dress for one of the alpha’s black shirts.
Considering they all had effectively the exact same wardrobe, trading black band shirts for movies or video games, it was hard to tell which was which—especially since this one was plain.
One thing was obvious though, it swallowed her, the hem falling just above her mid thigh to dust along the cross-crossing cuts into her skin.
Effortless, and so incredibly sexy that my cock was already weeping precum at the thought of getting her into the middle of what was going on here.
Wait? Shouldn’t I feel jealous?
I’d been so annoyed about sharing Marcus’ attention before, but now… Maybe all I really needed was an indicator that the alpha wanted me, too. And if the way his body coiled around mine was indicator… I’d gotten it.
Her eyes flicked between us, face going red as she clocked our position. "Oh, sorry, am I interrupting?"
"Not at all," Marcus said, pulling away from me to pull the sauce pan off the stove, adding the egg and sugar mixture to it in batches while he whisked.
I missed the feeling of closeness instantly, but it didn't seem like Marcus minded at all. His attention shifting to Eva now that she’d joined us.
A ball formed in the pit of my stomach.
"Dessert is almost ready, if you want to sit at the breakfast nook."
"Cool, thank you," she said as she drifted in that direction, hanging up Marcus’ jacket by the back door for him. “Indi will be down soon, and Cameo.”
I hopped off the counter to join Eva, pulling her close on the bench.
"How was your day?" she asked with a smile that almost made me forget that I was annoyed.
It was hard to be mad at anything when her sparkly blue eyes were looking at me like that, even if she reeked of my alphas.
"Fine," I said, my thumb tracking along the back of her hand on the table. "Mostly just drew, I have a piece due to a client soon. So I’m trying to get on top of it. How was your date?"
Since I’d moved in with the pack and Cameo had made it abundantly clear that I wasn’t to contribute to the household bills, I didn’t have to take quite as much paid work.
It was nice, it meant that I could be choosier about the projects that I took on, saving my time for things I was really excited about.
This client in particular was really interesting—a female alpha looking for splash screens for her stream.
Even if she wasn’t my type, I had to admit she was hot.
And getting to work on the project had been really inspiring.
Maybe I should draw Eva next.
I was so lost in fantasies of asking Eva to model for me that I missed half of what she said about dinner, clocking back into our conversation midway through.
“And the staff are so sweet! Getting to see the back was, like, crazy cool. And Cameo came to uh… help me get ready.”
Her suggestive smile and brush against her marked-up thigh helped her meaning click into place.
"Oh, you slept with him?" I asked.
She nodded, looking a bit bashful. "He broke into my apartment," she said, dropping her voice to a whisper. “It was so fucking hot.”
I should’ve guessed; she reeked of him. It obviously wasn't a big deal that they slept together, she’d signed a contract to be the mother of the pack’s baby for fuck sakes.
But, still… I thought that Cameo stalking and terrifying before sex was our thing.
And he’d never asked to cut me before… but that was totally fine!
It probably meant nothing.
I wasn’t bothered one bit.
Not at all.
Except… I totally fucking was.
I couldn't help feeling that Eva was getting this special attention that I was missing out on, at least from everyone but Indi. Was it because there was something wrong with me? Because they thought she would bond with them, and I wouldn't?
Or was this all because of the baby? Keeping her happy and pliant so that she’d behave and act like the good little fuckdoll they’d paid for?
The close of the refrigerator door pulled me from my spiral, turning my focus to Marcus.
“Those just need to set a while—but I brought these from the restaurant,” he said, a pair of ramekins clinking down onto the table holding perfectly golden little custards topped with a mountain of strawberries and dark chocolate drizzle on one, the other with white chocolate.
“You’ll have to forgive the theatre, Joon.
I was maybe doing a bit of show boating…
And I needed to replace what I took for dinner service tomorrow. ”
"So we aren’t eating the ones you made?" I asked.
“Nah, they need to rest.”
"Oh, you remembered," Eva said brightly, dragging the white chocolate drizzled dessert towards herself.
"I did," Marcus confirmed, sliding in next to her, forcing both of us to scoot in to make room.
"Remembered what?" I asked, using my spoon to break the caramelized sugar shell.
“Dark chocolate gives me migraines,” Eva said with a little wrinkle in her nose.
“You talked about… allergies? Preferences?” I said with a stupid blink.
"On our date, yeah." Eva nodded with a slight pink tinge to her cheeks.
Of course, it was on their date. That’s what people did on dates. Talked. Got to know eachother. Found real reasons to have a relationship. Put in even a crumb of effort with the omega they were supposed to be courting.
We've never gone on a date! He never even fucking asked.
"How nice for you," I snapped, not bothering to keep the attitude out of my voice.
My eyes were focused on my dessert, but I could feel the gaze of both of them hot on either side of my head.
Eva and me ate in tense silence, but I didn't really care.
My thoughts were in a spiral. What made them click so easily? When I first started coming around, Marcus didn't want anything to do with me. He barely spoke to me for months, pretending I was a piece of furniture instead of a person.
Instead of a potential omega for his pack.
It wasn't until I put something back wrong in the pantry that he’d acknowledged me at all. Since then, I’d managed to scrape together a handful of nice moments with him… but it still wasn’t like this.
Eva waltzed in and became the center of attention so effortlessly, it made me feel like I was yesterday’s news.
Sure, she was going to have their baby, and it was obvious they were all interested, but where did that leave me?
Most packs had no interest in having two omegas.
If she decided she wanted to stay, or hell, wanted a bond, and she had their kid, I was as good as gone.
And the relationships that I’d built with my three alphas were gone too.
"Can you pass me a napkin?" Eva asked, nodding to the holder sat out of her reach.
"Why don't you ask Marcus?" I hissed. I didn’t even mean to, but I was just so frustrated it came out.
"Do you have to be like this all the time?” Marcus drawled with an irritated sigh. “Even with guests?"
I looked up at him. All the playfulness and warmth was gone. That annoyed, and slightly contemptuous look that I was used to returning like a bad smell.
Of course, he took her side. This was just the beginning. They didn't need me, and it was only a matter of time before I was kicked to the curb and my nest was repainted in pastels to suit the pack’s new trophy.
"I guess I do," I said sharply. I pushing my dish away as I awkwardly scooted the rest of the way around the breakfast nook to finally get out.
"Joon, what's wrong?" Eva asked, sucking her spoon.
What was wrong? Everything. But she wouldn't see it it that way. Why would she? She was getting it all, everything I ever wanted, so—
Whoa. Hold on there Joon. When did I become so sure that this was my pack?
"Nothing, I'm going to my room. Wouldn't want to interrupt pack time."
Before either of them could say anything else, I was stomping up the stairs.
Indi passed me on the landing. "Hey there, butterfly, you look a little—”
"I’m fine," I snapped, continuing on until I reached my nest, slamming the door between us and flopping face down into the plush cushions.
I should’ve felt better, surrounded by all of my beautiful things. But as I rearranged the cushions, I found that I only felt more and more irritable.
Everything smelled like my pack. Which meant nothing felt like it was mine.
Fucking great.